And he had fallen
by Aespren
Summary: She was the last remaining unknown in the world.


For years he had been visiting the girl that lived within the crystal.

The threat of the titans had long ago dissipated, fallen to the strength of humanity's will. There was little left in this world that had been undiscovered to man, who had unearthed the knowledge of their ancestors outside the walls. The mystery of the barriers, the motives of their aggressors, and the truth of their origins: all had been solved in one way or another, leaving little enigmas left in the world.

Except for the girl. She was a mystery in and of herself.

She always had been, in one way or the other. Her actions were ones that many could not understand even when they had thought of her as normal. Her words had seemed callous to many, passive to others. Not many had bothered to get to know the one who lay behind them. Perhaps, if her comrades were still alive, they may have been able to shed some light about her; either about the past or now. But they had fallen many years ago, leaving her as the sole enemy of mankind, the last remnant of the plague that had haunted humanity.

He had long ago aged into a man, having survived the terrors of the world and found himself surprised to still be alive at the end. The girl however was still just that - a girl. She had encased herself in a crystal too hard for even time to wear down upon. It was an act that he had yet to find the true meaning behind.

Her crystal was not the only mystery surrounding her. He had poured countless hours into those final moments, reliving what they had each said. More than anything he just wanted to know _why_. Was it an act of bravery; an act of selfless sacrifice in order to protect her secret? Or had it merely been an escape from the world, an act of cowardice and selfishness that was so similar to previous people who could not bear the weight of their sins? One known to both soldiers and warriors alike. Or perhaps it had been meant as an attack, one last peril to society that had failed when her comrades had lost all hope.

He didn't know.

So now, as she rested encased within her own prison, the only threat she posed was to destroy the determination of the researchers, unyielding to aide in their efforts to find answers.

There had been many talks of what to do with "it", as she was referred to by the other researchers, from leaving her locked up to destroying her entirely. Many times he had to act as a defence, standing as the only protector to the monster that lay within. In the end, she had been the one to make the final decision, unable to be cracked by even the strongest of forces.

He had tried too - both metaphorically and physically - to break the barrier that separated the girl from humanity. All attempts had failed though, and he was left with no more answers than from when he was a child.

Thus, unable to accomplish their goal, the higher ups had settled on leaving the only remaining person still interested in watching her as her keeper, while the others abandoned their post to go back to what could now be a potentially fulfilling life.

Many of his comrades, and his friends, had moved on with their lives, starting families and travelling the world. He had travelled too for a while, accompanied by the people who had come to call his family. Everyone was now able to enjoy the peace and rest, while those that couldn't rested in peace. In the end though he had still been drawn back here, for the one thing that he had always been searching for his whole life were answers.

Regardless, he was now one of the only few remaining from the days when the titans held control over the lands who still invested his time into them. It was this crystal; this final 'titan', that left him unable to quit.

He wondered if he would ever be able to figure out her secrets in his life time. It was this uncertainty, this final piece of the puzzle that lacked any clues, that kept him sitting up at night. While many other scientists had tried to crack the code until the sleepless nights and the constant frustration became too much for them, he had stayed. These were the moments he revelled in.

She was the last remaining unknown in the world, and he had fallen in love with the mystery.

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_Thank you for reading, feedback is always appreciated._


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